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A Word on Priests

It seems only fitting that on this past weekend, when the Archdiocese of Los Angeles announced its $660 million settlement with more than 500 abuse victims, Sunday’s Gospel reading was the parable of the Good Samaritan. The following verses seem especially poignant:

A man fell victim to robbers
as he went down from Jerusalem to Jericho.
They stripped and beat him and went off leaving him half-dead.
A priest happened to be going down that road,
but when he saw him, he passed by on the opposite side. “

Interesting, isn’t it, that Jesus specifically chose a priest as an example of one of the people who was not acting as a neighbor — ie, as one not to emulate? It’s a clear example that neither a call nor an ordination is a guarantee of holiness. Priests, like all men, are fallen; they can sin terribly. This is made all the more clear when Judas, one of Jesus’ own handpicked apostles, would betray Him.

And yet God’s mercy always remains. Peter was also one of Christ’s handpicked, the rock upon whom His Church would be built. Peter would deny Christ three times. Yet despite the evil that men — even priests and bishops — can do, “the gates of the netherworld shall not prevail against it.” As Peter shows, there is always God’s mercy, always His healing.

To quote the parable of the Good Samaritan again:

Which of these three, in your opinion,
was neighbor to the robbers victim?
He answered, The one who treated him with mercy.
Jesus said to him, Go and do likewise.

May God bring peace to the victims of this wretched scandal. May His mercy fall upon the priests, the bishops, and everyone else responsible.

As for the rests of us, with so many bad priests garnering so much attention at the moment, I’d like to say a special thanks to the many, many, good priests who selflessly give of themselves to serve others. The ones who spent their weekends bringing Holy Communion to the sick and dying in hospitals, or sitting in hot confessionals ministering to their flocks; the ones who bring credit to the Church and to God.

I had the honor of spending the weekend with one such priest, Fr. Vincent Serpa of Catholic Answers, who was leading a retreat in my town. A Dominican who loves with all his heart and lives to serve. The Church and the world could use more like him.

Let’s not forget these good priests, not just for the work they do, but also for the critical role they must play in the healing.